Raspberry Lips
by RawrDelena
Summary: "Where to?", the cab driver asked, looking at her through the rear view mirror. The blonde bit her lower lip as the only place she probably would be welcomed in shot through her mind. She sighed as the answer left her rosy lips. "Rousseau's, French Quater.", she said, leaning back. The driver nodded and started the engine.


**A/N: Hello lovelies! So here is another drabble I wrote (one shot, just as always). 'Whataya want from me' by Adam Lambert inspired me to write the beginning and from there it just went on and on. Yeah ^^ I hope you guys enjoy reading this and I totally recommend to listen to the song, like I always do :) **

**Happy reading!**

**xoxo**

* * *

"I'm not the girl I've been two years ago, Elena. I've _changed_!", Caroline said, stressing each word coming out of her mouth. Elena just rolled her eyes at the blonde and huffed in annoyance. "Yeah, as if.", she said, her tone disturbingly self righteous. "What are you trying to tell me, Elena?", the blonde asked, narrowing her eyes. The brunette just shrugged and sipped at her cup of coffee. The girls were in this cute café right down the street of their hotel. They decided to spend their semester holidays in New Orleans. Yes, fucking New Orleans. The new home of the expanded Mikaelson family. Not Caroline's first choice, to be honest. "You haven't changed, Care. I mean, yeah, you're not so desperate for everyone's attention anymore, but you still feel like you have to be the center of attention. You're still the self conscious control freak you were back in High School, you just learned how to hide it.", Elena replied, draping her slightly waved hair over her right shoulder. "I don't try to hurt you or something, I'm just being _honest_.", she added, as she stared at the blonde. Caroline swallowed hard. Well, if Elena really didn't want to hurt her, she wouldn't have chosen these words. "You know what, Elena? I'm sick of this charade.", the blonde said as she stood up. She leaned forward and placed her hands on the table and looked down her so called best friend, looked into her sickeningly innocent bambi brown puppy dog eyes. "I may have been an insecure neurotic control freak, I still may be a neurotic control freak, but I am not insecure anymore. I dare to open my mouth if I'm sick of something. And right now, my dear, I am sick of you. I am sick of this whole best friend act we're keeping up when all you want to do is being with anyone but me. I am sick of you insulting me in oh so subtle ways. I am sick of your so called advice. I. Am. Sick. Of. _You_.", she said, getting louder word by word. As she finally ended her rant, everyone in the café was staring at them. The blonde ignored it and stood up. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, grabbed her purse, left a few dollar bills on the table and made her way towards the entrance. As she was leaving she called over her shoulder that she would move out of their hotel and search herself another place to stay. She just didn't know where this place was.

After a few moments the people in the café went back to normal and Elena finally managed to close her mouth. She rummaged through her shopper for her cellphone and found it almost the same instant. The brunette searched through her contacts and dialed Damon's number. She refused to spend the rest of her holiday alone. Especially during Mardi Gras. So she would ask her boyfriend to join her, and maybe she would get her revenge for being humiliated in public.

The blonde was furious at Elena. But who wouldn't be? She carried her suitcase in which she threw her whole luggage towards the elevator as her cellphone vibrated. She groaned as she read the called ID. After thinking about ignoring the call she decided to pick up, against better judgement. "What do you want, Damon?", she asked, her tone annoyed. "Relax Blondie! Just wanted to know what exactly transpired between you and Elena.", he answered. Caroline sighed as she leaned against the wall next to the elevator, waiting for the doors to open. "She insulted me, I refused to take her shit any longer, screamed at her in public and left like a real drama queen.", she replied as a 'bing' signaled her that the doors would open any given moment. "Alright, so no need to humiliate you in public?", he asked, sounding slightly amused. Caroline grunted as she carried her luggage into the elevator, pressing the button for the main floor. "No need to humiliate me in public.", she confirmed, leaning against one of the steel walls. Damon sighed at the other end of the line. "That's good. I'll take the next flight to New Orleans to keep Miss Gilbert company.", he said, a smirk clearly evident in his voice. Caroline huffed as another 'bing' signaled her that the elevator stopped. She looked at the little display above the door and was happy to see that she was on the right floor. "Yeah, have fun. Good luck with surviving her moods.", she said before she hung up. A faint 'thank you' was the last thing she heard before she tapped onto the red button on her touchscreen.  
The blonde dragged her trolley along as she walked towards the hotel's reception to return the key card. After checking out, she left the hotel behind and walked into the other direction of the street, not wanting to walk past the café Elena probably still sat in. Luckily for her the direction the café was in lead towards the suburbans of the city. Caroline stopped after she walked a few blocks and waved for a cab. She just had to wait a few moments till one stopped right in front of her. The driver got out of the car and even helped her with the luggage. She thanked him and slipped into the backseat of the car, fastening the seat belt before she sunk into the comfortable seat. "Where to?", the driver asked, looking at her through the rear view mirror. The blonde bit her lower lip as the only place she probably would be welcomed in shot through her mind. She sighed as the answer left her rosy lips. "Rousseau's, French Quater.", she said, leaning back. The driver nodded and started the engine.

Caroline and Elena hat their second week in New Orleans, and they were at Rousseau's for exactly one time. This one time she ran into one of the last persons she wanted to meet: Rebekah. The blonde Original recognized her (of course she did) and instantly decided to let her in on everything that happened in the months she hadn't seen or heard of any of them. She told her about Hayley and the Hybrid baby, about Elijah, the witches Sophie and Davina and about Camille and Marcel. Especially the Marcel bit was interesting. Caroline had a hard time to absorb and process the new information, but somehow she managed it. As she asked the other blonde what she was doing in the bar the girl who was with her ex boyfriend worked at, she told her that she just wanted to buy a few bottles of bourbon, because Klaus went out of it and he was unbearable without his fill of it ever since the baby was born. So it wasn't the bar Rebekah visited often, no, Klaus was the one who loved this little bar. And that was the exact reason Caroline decided to drive to it. The Hybrid and his siblings were the only persons she trusted enough to help her while she stayed in New Orleans. She just hoped that she wouldn't be drunk when one of them finally decided to show up.

"One glass of bourbon. Your oldest.", Caroline said, as she sat down on the stool in front of the bar. The blonde behind it nodded and got her a bottle and a tumbler. She filled it with the amber liquid and placed the glass in front of Caroline. "Are you alright?", she asked, tilting her head. Caroline looked up at her and resembled the motion. She thought that the girl must've talked to someone else, but she was the only one in earshot. "Yes. No, not really.", Caroline stuttered, furrowing her brow in the process. Her trolley stood right next to her, in between her stool and the one to her left. She took the glass filled with alcohol and drowned it in one big gulp. She didn't even flinch at the bitter taste or the burning sensation at the back of her throat. "Do you want to talk about it?", the bartender asked, refilling Caroline's glass. The vampire shot her a thankful smile and drowned the second glass in two gulps, shuddering at the taste of the liquid. She never got how Klaus and Damon were able to enjoy this stuff, she just drank it because it got you drunk in no time. And it helped with the killing innocent people urges, that definitely was another big pro. "I don't know. I'm just so annoyed by her and she doesn't even seem understand why I'm mad at her.", Caroline answered, pouring herself another drink. "What's your name?", the bartender asked, smiling at the vampire. Caroline sighed and decided to slow down. She only sipped at her drink this time around. "I'm Caroline.", she said, extending her hand. The bartender took it and shook it as she introduced herself. "Camille. But it's a grandma's name, so call me Cami.", she replied, smiling at the blonde opposite her. Caroline let go of her hand and forced herself to just act like she didn't know the whole life story of the girl on the other side of the counter.  
"Well, Cami,", the vampire said, "I'm here with my best friend, or at least we've been best friends in High School. And she just won't shut up about how much of an insecure neurotic, self centered, attention seeking control freak I am.". Camille's eyes widened at the harsh words which left the other blonde's mouth, but nodded nonetheless. "And today I stood up against her and told her how much of a bitch she actually is.", Caroline added, taking another sip of the bourbon. "I acted like a real drama queen and basically humiliated her in public. And now I not only feel really bad about it, but I also told her I'd move out of our hotel and am more or less homeless.", she explained further. "I know a place where I probably could stay, but I don't know where the person lives so I have to wait for one of the family members to show up. They usually seem to be here.", the one with the blonde curls said as she draped her hair over her left shoulder, sighing heavily. "I can't imagine that your friend's words are true.", Camille said as she realized that Caroline's rant was over, "And I don't think you should feel bad. According to what you just told me this girl had to be rebuked for her behavior." Caroline smiled at the last comment, thankful that the bartender tried to soothe her. "Maybe I could help you with the person you're looking for. I work here almost every evening, so I know the customers.", she explained, smiling friendly. Caroline was pretty sure that Camille knew the Mikaelsons, but wasn't sure if it was so smart to tell her about her knowing them. At least she was Marcel's girl and he and the Mikaelsons had kind of a war going on. But what _did_ she have to loose? No, really, what? Tyler and her broke up when he finally showed up at Withmore just to tell her that he wouldn't attend college because of his new pack. She was furious and accused him of being a liar and getting it on with a new wereslut. He fought back by bringing the whole _Klaus is in love with you and you enjoy it_ thing up. They screamed at each other for about 10 minutes when he said that she has had sex with Papa Hybrid. That was everything Caroline needed to break up with him and throw him out of her and Elena's dorm room.

"I'm looking for Rebekah Mikaelson, she's an old friend of mine.", Caroline finally said. She assumed that it was more or less harmless to mention Rebekah. At least Camille was working when her and Rebekah met. She could be an old High School friend or something alike. Camille nodded in recognition, opening her mouth to answer the other blonde. "I fear you won't meet her, but it's Tuesday so her brother will be here in a few.", she said, smiling at her. Caroline nodded, taking another sip of her bourbon. "Which brother?", she asked, remembering that not only Klaus but also Elijah existed. Just as Camille was about to answer, Caroline got her answer by the brother himself.  
"Caroline.", his accented voice said, surprise more than evident in his tone. "Klaus.", she breathed, turning towards him. He made his way towards her, slowly, as if she was a deer caught in headlights and he didn't want to frighten her. As he finally sat down next to her, Camille was already pouring him his drink. "What a pleasant surprise.", he said, still staring at her as if she was a miracle, as if her sheer existence was a miracle itself. Caroline smiled at him and forced herself to tear her gaze from his eyes. She forgot what kind of effect they had on her. "What leads you here, love?", he asked, looking at her curiously. Caroline took a sip of her bourbon before she turned back towards him. She tried to look anywhere else but into his eyes, what seemed to be an impossible task to manage, so she just stared into them, loosing herself in their depths. "I'm here with Elena for Mardi Gras, we have our semester break. But we had a fight and I moved out of our hotel and ended up here, drowning my sorrows in bourbon.", she answered, taking another sip of the bitter amber liquid as if to prove her point. Klaus instantly took her glass and sat it back onto the counter as he realized what she was doing. "I assume that you don't want to talk about your fight?", he asked, earning a nod from her. He sighed and looked at her, admired the girl who used to be the beacon of light to his darkness. And he felt like it didn't change at all. She still was his light, his angel Caroline, but she seemed to be more mature, more grown up. "What happened during the last months?", he asked her, causing her to flinch slightly. She hoped he didn't notice it, but of course he did.

His look was clouded with concern the moment he noticed the small movement. He was about to add another question, but Caroline rose her hand to stop him from talking, it was her turn to talk. At least he asked her a question and it would be really rude not to answer, wouldn't it? So she told him about how college was awesome and fun and how her and Elena grew apart ever since they learned from Bonnie's dead, unlike everyone else expected. She told him about her break up with Tyler, about the argument they had, their final fight, as she liked to call it. She told him about Jesse and Elena's new beau with whom she almost cheated on Damon in a drunken and angry stupor if it wasn't for Caroline. She told him about Stefan who finally decided to live an Elena free live. To do so he flew off to Europe. He sent Caroline a postcard from every place he visited. As Caroline finally finished her story, she realized that the number of customers increased, it seemed like a lot of time passed.  
She stole back her glass of bourbon and drowned it, sighing heavily. She turned back towards him and just looked at him like he looked at her. She never really noticed that she missed his blue eyes or his inviting raspberry lips. She asked herself if he ever had anything romantic with the wereslut again ever since he impregnated her. She didn't know why, but she really hoped that this wasn't the case. "I would ask you what happened ever since you're here, but I already had a run in with Rebekah who told me everything.", she said, surprising him. She saw the emotion in his eyes, but he instantly masked it up, irritating her to no end. "Everything?", he asked, raising his eyebrows. She nodded. "Everything about the wereslut, your arch frenemy, the witches, Camille who's really nice by the way, and well, basically everything.", she confirmed, surprising herself by the way she said wereslut. It sounded like a really, really bad insult. Not just a usual one. The venom in her voice didn't slip Klaus' attention and he rose his eyebrows even further. "I grasp you're not really fond of Hayley.", he said, taking a sip form his second glass of bourbon whereas Caroline was about to finish her fifth. "Well, she did snap my neck without reason. She was the one responsible for the second massacre. She didn't know how to dress properly at the Miss Mystic Peagent I 'hosted'.", Caroline replied dryly, simply stating the facts. Klaus chuckled at her last point, remembering the time they spent there. She called him perfect, they had fun, it actually felt like it could work out between them. Klaus guessed that this was what it would be like if he would ever get the chance to win the blonde over.

"You have a point there.", he said, smiling at her. Caroline didn't want to, but she replied to his smile with an even bigger one.  
They sat there in silence for a while, just looking at each other, enjoying each other's company, each other's presence. "I missed you.", Caroline suddenly whispered. She spoke so low that Klaus wasn't sure if he got her right, so he rose a questioning eyebrow at her. She didn't look at him as she explained her statement. "I never thought that I'd miss you, but I do. I haven't noticed till I saw you but I miss you. I miss your voice and your accent, your eyes, the way you look at me, your smile, your laugh. I even miss your sarcastic remarks.", she confessed, not daring to look at him as she poured her heart out. She'd never admit that she was actually aware of what she was saying. I someone ask she'd say that it was the alcohol talking. As Klaus didn't answer she looked back up at him and found him staring at her in awe. After a few more moments his dumbfounded expression turned into a heartwarming smile which was meant for her, and only her. "I missed you as well, Caroline.", he said, making her name sound like an angel's. "Especially your sarcastic remarks.", he added, causing her to smiled in amusement. She laughed. "And your laughter.", he mumbled looking at her. He unconsciously took her hand and squeezed it lightly. Caroline looked up at him before she looked at their hands. Her hand in his'. It felt so right, it was insane. "Do you remember how you told me that I'd turn up at your doorstep one day?", she asked, not really believing where she was heading with this. She knew exactly what she was doing, she knew it and she didn't care. It felt so right, she didn't care about the inner voice nagging at the back of her mind. Nothing was holding her back anymore, she was free. "Of course I do.", he answered, smiling at her. Caroline took a deep breath before she said the following words. "If I knew where you were living ... today would be the day I'd turn up at your doorstep.", she said, looking him right into his deep blue pools of emotions. He processed her words, and with realization what she was trying to say dawning, his eyes brightened. He tried to say something but seemed to be speechless. She, Caroline Forbes, made Klaus Mikaelson, the big bad Hybrid, speechless. "I'm ready to leave it all behind.", she added, stressing her former statement. Klaus looked at her as he slowly rose his hand to tuck a strand of her blonde waves behind her ear. But instead of retreating his hand immediately, it rested on her cheek. Caroline leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed in the process. She felt him moving and just a few moments later she felt his breath against her skin, causing her to shudder under it's caress. "Caroline.", he mumbled. She opened her eyes and stared right into his', noticing that they darkened in the last few seconds. She slightly tilted her head and leaned in, brushing the tip of her nose against his'. Before any of them could realize what exactly was going on, their lips were moving in sync to their frantic heartbeats. As they broke away, they stared at each other. Klaus got off the stool and left a 200 dollar bill on the counter. He noticed Caroline's suitcase, took it and offered Caroline his hand. The blonde took his hand and followed him. Followed him out of her old life into a new one.


End file.
